Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-08-17
Docs Protection Protect-If so-Whol
PAPER NO. 4.

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however of those who make politl-
cal economy a special study may
serve to enlighten our readers more
than anything we can say. We
therefore submit the following ex-
tract from the last annual report OF
the Secretary of the Treasury.
mo man now living will ever
see free trade adopted by these
United States in their commerce
with foreign nations, for taxes on
imports from the foundation of this
Government have ever been one
chief source of Federal revenue,
and such they will continue to be.
They are taxes upon consumption,
like our internal revenue taxes, and
the true ground Of choice among
articles suitable for taxation is not
the circumstance that they are pro-
duced at home or imported from
abroad, for neither the producer
nor the importer finally pays the tax.
The consumer pays it. TIE place of
origin is no criterion. The place
of collection is no criterion. The
place Of consumption is where du-
ties as we'll as excise are paid at last.
Seaport taxes and inland taxes are
alike in cost of collection g $40
aud 1910 per cent. and alike in
this that although the importer or
distiller advances the tax he reim-
burses himself in the price to the
consumer, who alone is taxed.
Taxes on imports are levied by all
nations. Last year England raised
a revenue of 500, 97s,5s3 for taxes
on imports, France S6S,616,3 1925,
Germany S47,557,160. But no
foreign nation taxes raw materials.
Such taxes injure home industries,
in which those materials are worked
up and increased in value by home
labor. Such taxes on raw mater
ials instead of excluding foreign
competition from the home market
put our employers of labor at
great disadvantage in the home
market, and greater disadvantage
in every foreign market, compared
with the foreign employing labor
upon untaxed raw material.
g Protection is also misnomer.
Il implies superiority elsewhere.
That superiority over any great in
dustry of ours does not exist upon
the globe. 1t implies infants here
and adults elsewhere. Such is not
our reputation. 1t implies that
amid competition universal, where
the fittest survive, we shall perish.
But it is everywhere else believed
that whenever we shall release our
selves from bad laws, and enter
that competition unmanacled. rivals
will be distanced and our primacy
established in the markets and COM
merce of the world.
s'Nobody pays tax on tobacco
except the consumers of tobacco.
They are willing to pay for the lux
ury, and they ask no relief.
1.-The taxes to be first RENTED
arc those which prevent or hinder
the sale Of our surplus product in
foreign markets. Their removal
viii set capital in motion, by the
promise Of better returns, enlarge
the steady employment, and increase.
the annual income of many thous-
and wage-earners, whose prosperity
viii diffuse prosperity. These taxes
are the duties on raw material, and
the most widely injurious of them
is the tax on raw wool. But the
income Of al the wage-workers in
the United States can be at once
enlarged effectively, certainly per.
manently, By reducing the cost to
them Of the greater necessities Of
life. Our war tariff taxes increase
neodlessly the cost Of clothing, shell
ter, aud food to every family. Every
wage-Worker's expense. every tax